Abstract: A self-propelled lift truck comprising a forward carriage assembly which includes a pair of spaced apart ground engageable wheels and a vertical mast on which is mounted a forwardly projecting fork assembly for lifting and lowering of loads thereon by relative upward and downward movement and a rearward carriage assembly which includes at least one ground engageable wheel and on which is supported a power source for operating components of the lift truck. The forward and rearward carriage assemblies are connected by first and second transversely spaced apart support members, the forward ends of which are pivotally attached to the forward carriage assembly and the rearward ends of which are pivotally attached to the rearward carriage assembly. A power device is connected to at least one of the support members and is activatable to effect relative angular displacement of the elongated support members with the forward carriage assembly.

Abstract: An improved forklift device for unloading palletized articles from the bed of a flatbed truck may be removably carried in "piggyback" fashion on the rear end of the truck. The device has a fork structure adapted to liftingly engage one of the pallets, a wheeled, ground-supportable frame, and an articulated linkage structure which interconnects the frame and the fork structure and is movable between a fully lowered and rearwardly retracted position and a fully raised and forwardly extended position. The forklife may be propelled along the ground by an engine-driven hydraulic drive system, and is also provided with a hydraulic actuating system for pivoting gantry and boom portions of the linkage, and pivoting the fork structure relative to the linkage. In unloading the articles the fork structure may be moved a substantial distance laterally across the truck bed to liftingly engage the pallet of an article on the far side of the bed.